Chelsea Film Festival (CFF) was selected in the "TOP 10 BEST FILM FESTIVAL IN NORTH AMERICA" (#6) by USA Today in 2019 among 19 other film festivals in the USA.

CFF is an organization dedicated to supporting films and the artists who create them by providing a creative forum for exchange and discovery.

The Festival attracts filmmakers, artists and audience members from across America and the world. It premieres independent narrative features, documentaries, short films and TV series focusing on global issues.

Chelsea Film Festival is an international film competition that aims to discover upcoming talents by raising awareness about American & foreign independent films.
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The Chelsea Film Festival is launching a Screenwriting Incubator in partnership with TD Ready Commitment to uplift 10 outstanding NY-based BIPOC screenwriter-directors in support of their next live action short film under 5 minutes. Participants will go through an intensive script workshop alongside a professional mentor, film their scripts with funding support and screen their completed projects at the 11th Edition of the 2023 Chelsea Film Festival. Ultimately, one short film will be selected as the winner and awarded a $5k grant from TD for their next project.

BIPOC screenwriter-directors interested must submit their resume, bio and a brief synopsis (2-3 sentences) via FilmFreeway by January 2nd. Once submitted, selected screenwriters will be invited to submit their final application.

Awards & Prizes

There are 20+ awards in each category Short, Feature-Length and TV Series (Best actor, actress, supporting actor, actress, screenplay, documentary, director, Best Picture).

Rules & Terms

2023 CONDITIONS FOR ELIGIBILITY - 11th Annual Chelsea Film Festival

By using this website and submitting your entry on FilmFreeway, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy of Chelsea Film Festival, Inc. as provided on our website. Submission of a film constitutes acceptance of these Entry Rules & Guidelines (by you and your agents). Please review this document carefully by clicking on the "Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy" link on our website : www.chelseafilm.org/rules-and-guidelines

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SHORTS, FEATURES, DOCUMENTARIES, TV SERIES:

• Entries must be New York City premieres and have been completed in 2022 or 2023. Films shown in other festivals or public screenings in New York are not eligible for consideration. Contact us directly at info@chelseafilm.org if your film is a WORLD PREMIERE
• Work can only be submitted via streaming video
• Exhibition Format authorized: DCP
• Feature-length Films and Documentaries must be between 90 minutes maximum and not less than 60 minutes
• Short Films must be under 20 minutes maximum
• TV Series must be under 40 minutes maximum
• Films must not have been released on any online platforms prior to the Festival (i.e. Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, Vimeo, YouTube, etc.)
• Films in any language other than English must be subtitled in English
• Theme: Global Issues
• Submissions are not refundable
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SCREENWRITING INCUBATOR
Sponsored by TD Ready Commitment

• Entries must be from New York based BIPOC screenwriter-directors
• Short Film script must be under 5 minutes (6 pages inclusive of cover page)
• Short Film script must be in English
• Resume and Biography are mandatory
• Synopsis must be a short paragraph (2-3 sentences)
• Submissions are non refundable

Visit CFF's website for more information on this program: https://chelseafilm.org/screenwriting-incubator
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Force Majeur Clause: Due to Covid-19 pandemic and unforeseen outcome, the Chelsea Film Festival reserves the right to postpone or move the event to a digital platform if necessary.

145 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Shawn Punch

    I really enjoyed the experience of seeing my movie on the big screen, networking with other creative people in the film industry and seeing other people's work.

    February 2023
    Helpful
  • Asaf Yecheskel

    A wonderful festival, with great communication, and really friendly team behind it. While I didn't get to attend personally, several directors I work with did attend in previous editions and all had a wonderful experience.
    I look forward to collaborating with you again in the future.

    December 2022
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  • Danene Montella

    As an alumni of Chelsea Film Festival, I knew that the 10th Anniversary was going to be a very special year. The festival was beautifully run, with amazing hospitality and so many inspiring filmmaker events and screenings to attend. My team and I had an unforgettable experience premiering our short dark comedy BEAR TRAP here. Thanks to everyone involved!

    November 2022
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  • fetti benton

    Really Great festival to be apart. My cast and crew had a wonderful experience

    November 2022
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  • Steven Bednar

    The Chelsea Film Festival is a Filmmakers' film festival! It was a blast! There were plenty of Networking opportunities available for filmmakers. The location was incredible, right in the middle of the East Village in Manhattan. All the selections were top notch, a very incredible range of work. It is a festival I would suggest to any filmmaker either seasoned or starting out to keep on their radar.

    November 2022
    Helpful